


Shark Bait

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Beach House, Eventual Fluff, M/M, Mershark Mako, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, mermaid au, roadrat - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-18 06:00:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15479169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jamie, a renowned inventor, recently moved to a house with its very own private beach.  Rumor has it that a monster of sorts lives in the murky depths right next to his new home.  A rather unusual encounter with the creature leaves Jamie astounded.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! I've been wanting to write a mermaid au for a while now and finally got around to it. I'm going to try to have scheduled updates for this fic, so expect updates every weekend.

Jamie grunted as he dropped the heavy cardboard box full of his belongings onto the cold hardwood floor.  That was the last of ‘em. He had recently bought a brand new two-story house, complete with it's very own private beach.  To say the place was pretty was an understatement. It was absolutely magnificent in every way imaginable. The sights, the smells, the mood, it was almost too much for Jamie to wrap his head around.

 How did Jamie, once a homeless beggar, end up here you may ask?  Well, it had all happened when he was given the opportunity to show off some of his nifty little inventions to the world.  They were an instant success, and in a flash he was one of the richest inventors in the world. Although Jamie revels in the amount of attention he receives, it gets exhausting after a while, even for a social butterfly such as himself.  The newness of being constantly surrounded and berated by fans and photographers twenty-four seven was starting to wear off. Jamie was one that needed his own space to work on his projects without any distractions to break his concentration.  Thus, he decided moving to a private little beach just for him would be a great idea to finally get some work done.

 Jamie sighed, staring at the mountain of boxes that had yet to be unpacked.  Moving was one hell of a job, that's for sure. The strength behind his prosthetic arm and leg made it surprisingly easier, though.  He had lost both of the limbs to one of his earlier invention prototypes. The entire project went kaboom, and along with it went his right arm and leg.  The disaster didn't hinder his amazing talent like he had expected. If anything, Jamie felt as if creating and building things was even easier now due to the precision his robotic arm was programmed with.

 Turning around, Jamie walked to the window, opening the shades to allow a stream of sunlight to pour into his new home.  He took a peek outside, giddy at the prospect of having an entire beach all to himself. That meant he could do whatever the fuck he wanted, no matter how utterly stupid or dangerous the activity was.  

 There was one other reason Jamie decided to buy _this_ particular house.  Rumor has it that some sort of unidentifiable monster lived within the waters of the beach.  This tidbit of information peaked Jamie’s interest enough for him to follow through with the purchase.  He was a sucker for any kind of myths or superstitions.

 Bored of unpacking, he decided to take a break and instead explore his newly acquired property.  Jamie hobbled over to the back door, flinging it open before stepping outside. The backyard was green and healthy, the fancy in-ground pool topping it off perfectly.  It was quite simple, nothing too fancy, just how he liked it. Jamie continued down a narrow wooden pathway to the sandy beach he’s been so looking forward to see. Kicking off his only shoe, (His prosthetic leg was a peg leg.  It would look rather silly to put a shoe on that too.) Jamie sunk his foot into the cool sand, wiggling his toes at the pleasant sensation. A few seagulls chirped loudly overhead and a small crab scurried by his bare foot.

 Jamie giggled, looking around with the same excitement of that of a small child.  He pulled his shirt up and over his head, tossing it next to his shoe by the pathway.  As he walked to the water’s edge, his excitement rose and rose to the point where he was running and leaping and twirling in pure bliss at the freedom he felt here.  No one throwing questions at him left and right, no one asking for a photo, no one trying to creep into his personal life. He could focus his attention on what mattered most: his inventions and doing whatever the hell he felt like.

  ** _Fwoosh._**

 Jamie practically jumped out of his skin at the loud splash, his head whipping around to examine the waters to find the source of the noise.  A small glimpse of a shark tail caught his eye, and _hooley dooley that thing was ginormous._  It was easily just as big, if not bigger than a great white.  All he saw was a blur of gray, leathery skin as it swam away. Jamie let out a low whistle, astounded at what he had just witnessed.  Perhaps it was just a really big shark that the locals misinterpreted as a “terrifying unidentifiable monster”.

 He had stopped inches away from the water, and he didn’t dare to go any further.  Not wanting to return to the boring boxes back inside, Jamie walked along the beach, a few feet away from the water as a safety measure.  His stroll lasted a while until he saw a large, inviting flat rock poking through the water. It was wet, most likely from the seaspray. The urge to swim to it built up inside of him.  Surely the shark wouldn't be _this_ far away from where he had last spotted it.  He had walked quite the distance. Jamie stared at it for a moment before making up his mind and wading out to climb onto it.  Once perched on top of it, he laid down to stare up at the sky. He’d had quite a long day, and quite frankly, he was exhausted.  Jamie allowed his eyes to slowly close, sleep quickly overtaking him.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Mako watched from afar, sulking as the gangly man slept on top of his favorite sunbathing spot.  Who did this human think he was, barging in and claiming Mako’s territory for his own? This was _his_ beach, _his_ waters, _his_ lands.  A low, irritable growl escaped his half-submerged lips, causing bubbles to bounce along the surface of the water.  Normally he'd just kill whoever trespassed him, but for some reason he wanted to see what this human was up to. See how he could mess with his mind.

 A wicked idea wiggled it's way into Mako’s brain, and he smirked at the thought.  It would be too easy to scare the human right now. Which, of course, he would take advantage of.  With a powerful flick of his tail, Mako swam silently through the water, slicing through it like a knife through butter.  As he approached the large rock, Mako tilted his body upward ever so slightly to allow his dorsal fin to eerily rise out of the water.

 No reaction.  Was the little shit asleep or something?  Mako growled again, slamming his body weight against the rock to startle Jamie.  It appeared to work. Mako listened, smirking as he heard the human scramble above him, panicking.  He was stuck there until Mako got bored. Let's just say that Mako is _very_ patient.

 He slammed against the rock again, enjoying the way the human yelped and shied away from the edge.  Mako circled the rock, patiently awaiting the human’s escape plan. The shore wasn't too far away, but it was far enough to where it would be impossible to get to without swimming.  If the human did decide to swim, Mako wouldn't kill him. He'd give him a chase, a scare, but wouldn't lay a finger on him. For now. But the man didn't know that, which was the fun part.

 Mako dragged his claws along the side of the rock as he swam, creating a sound similar to that of nails on a chalkboard.  The man above whimpered pitifully.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Jamie’s heart hammered against his ribcage, his breaths fast and shallow.  He watched the gray fin circling him with fear, the situation he just got himself into sinking in.  He was stuck on this rock with a vicious, man-eating shark just below him, waiting for him to make one wrong move.  There was absolutely nothing he could do but wait and hope the thing would leave.

 Jamie jumped at the loud, scraping noise coming from the water.  It was a noise no shark would be able to make. Maybe...it wasn't a shark?  Curiosity getting the best of him, Jamie slowly peered over the edge. The water was murky, but as the creature passed by, he noted the fin and tail was definitely that of a shark.  The rest of it, however, seemed almost...human?

 Shock hit him like a freight train.  That wasn't a plain old shark. It was a mermaid.  A mer-shark of sorts. Jamie squinted, trying to find it again to get a better glimpse when an arm shot out of the water beside him, grasping the edge of the rock.  It was huge, the size of at least four of his own hands. It’s nails were long and black, the tips as sharp as knives. Jamie’s fight or flight instincts flared. He chose flight.  Jamie scurried back, diving into the water, trying to swim to shore as fast as possible. A large splash sounded off behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Jamie's heart sank as he saw the shark fin speeding towards him.  Gasping for breath, Jamie fought through the water, fear propelling him forward, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Just a little farther, just a few feet, almost there, just a little-

 Jamie scrambled onto the sand, pulling himself to his feet and running, running as fast as he could to his house without looking back.  As he ran, he swore he heard a deep, distant chuckle.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mako guffawed at the man, watching him as he ran for his life.  Priceless. Truly _priceless_.  He hadn't had this much fun in years.  Hopefully the human would return, just so he could have a bit more fun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is finally up! This is a tad longer than the first. Enjoy!

Jamie stared out at the water from the comfort of his kitchen, slowly eating a bowl of half stale cereal.  A few days had passed since the...mermaid incident. He had finished unpacking everything and was finally getting comfortable in his new home.  There was, however, one thing still bothering him. Being the inventor he was, he was naturally a very curious man. The idea that he might be living right next to a real, living, breathing mermaid made him want to go out and find the creature again.  There were so many questions he wanted to ask. Well, if it even  _ could _ talk.  Jamie took a sip from the glass of orange juice he had poured for himself, smacking his lips at the tangy delicious taste.  The building curiosity was beginning to override his fear of getting harmed. Even if something did happen to him, at least he’d die knowing it was a mythical creature who had killed him.

After slurping down the last few bites of cereal, Jamie set his bowl in the sink before grabbing his satchel hanging on the wall and stepping outside.  It was quite early, around seven in the morning. The sun was slowly rising, its rays casting streaks of pink and red throughout the sky. A soft breeze caressed Jamie’s cheeks, carrying with it the ocean’s salty aroma.  Jamie ambled down that small pathway he had taken the other day, soon arriving to the beach’s sandy shore. The waves lapped gently at the sand, much calmer than they previously were. He took the same route along the shore as yesterday, keeping his eyes peeled for the large rock that was practically burned into his memory.

Jamie soon stumbled upon the familiar rock.  He stopped about a foot from the water, staring into it cautiously.  This was probably a very, very dumb idea. But, like he always says, you won’t know if it’s dumb until you give it a go.  Tossing away his worries, Jamie made sure the beast wasn’t nearby, then waded his way over to the flat surface. He climbed atop of it without much trouble, only letting out a soft grunt as he pulled himself up and out of the water.  The rock was cool to the touch, the sun’s warmth not yet able to seep into it. Jamie sat his satchel down, opening it to pull out a sketchbook. If he happened to spot the creature again, he’d like to be able to document its appearance.  If the water was clearer he would just use a camera, but the picture would just turn out blurry and muddy with how murky the water was.

In the meantime, he began to sketch out ideas for inventions he could possibly try to make.  There was food in the satchel as well for if he got hungry or wanted to try to entice the fish out of hiding.  Jamie’s nimble fingers worked away, drawing some metal here, drawing some cogs there. It felt as though hours passed by, the sun rising to its peak, gleaming proudly up ahead.  Jamie was starting to think maybe it truly had just been a shark, maybe his eyes had just been tricking him, when a sudden splash caught his attention. He looked up, eyes frantically searching and catching a glimpse of a shark tail.  It was back.

Jamie giggled despite the nervous fear clawing at his stomach as the dorsal fin approached the rock, circling it menacingly.  What should he do? Try to communicate with it? Give it some food? He decided the second option would be safer. Reaching for his bag, Jamie pulled out a can of already opened sardines.  Using his thumb and forefinger, he plucked one out by the tail, lifting it over the edge of the rock. The putrid stench made his mouth curl in disgust as he tossed it into the murky waters below.  It floated, swaying gently along with the water. The large dorsal fin spun around, slowly approaching the dead fish with what appeared to be curiosity. Suddenly the fish was yanked from the surface, disappearing into the water.  Jamie tittered, surprised that his gift was accepted.

“There’s more where that came from big guy!”

Jamie plucked out another fish, tossing it over the edge once again.  It disappeared almost immediately. He continued to toss fish over the edge until there was only slimy residue left in the can.

“That’s all I got mate.  Gonna have t’ run to the store later and pick up some more.”, Jamie spoke, absentmindedly tossing the can aside.

The creature didn’t appear too happy with that news.  It began to circle him again, its claws making those horrid scratching sounds.

“Oi, don’t gotta throw a temper-tantrum.  You should be thankful I just gave ya free food.”, Jamie snorted, his fear slowly subsiding.

The creature thrashed its body against the rock in response, causing Jamie to stumble.

“Cut it out, ya big baby.  I’ll bring ya some more tomorrow, ok?”  Insulting a mythological creature probably wasn’t the best decision he’s made.

A large, clawed hand shot out, grabbing the edge.  Another one joined it a second later and Jamie scuttled back, breath hitching as the creature pulled itself out of the water.  Jamie had been right. It was a merman. A very big one.

The merman pulled himself onto the rock, his tail hanging off of the side dripping droplets of water.  From waist up he looked almost normal, aside from his jet black eyes, razor sharp teeth, flared gills and massive body.  From waist down, he looked exactly like a great white shark. Jamie stared in terror and awe. The creature was equally beautiful as it was terrifying.  His long, luscious hair looked as if it was made out of silver thread, somehow appearing both wiry and soft at the same time. The merman had a large bulky physique, his body plump yet muscular.  Jamie’s eyes wandered from his massive body to the stubble covering his chin, then to his round oh-so kissable lips and finally landing on the merman’s eyes.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mako stared down at the small human, examining him.  The boy was as skinny as a rail and rather tall for his species.  His eyes burned a bright orange while his hair was a blinding blonde, both resembling that of a fire.  His clothing was baggy and oversized, draping over his slender form like a curtain. The man looked strange.  He liked that.

The human stuttered, trying to find his voice.

“H-hooley dooley, yer a big bloke.  You could gobble me up in just one bite!  Hehe, not that I taste that good, proly taste like shit if I’m honest with ya.  Barely got any meat on me, don’t get out as much as I should. Plus I’m proly really,  _ really _ stringy.  Not something you'd want to eat.  Y-you don’t want to eat me...do ya?”, the human stammered, his fear showing through how fast he spoke.

“Not yet.”

The human went pale at the implied statement.

“O-oh, well, heh, that’s better than being killed right off the bat I s’pose.  Maybe, just maybe, now hear me out on this, we could become y’know...friends! I bring you food, you don’t eat me, and we live life in peace!  How’s that sound?”, the small man spoke frantically, bartering for his life. Mako shrugged.

“Sure.”

Couldn’t pass up the offer of free food.  Besides, the guy was actually right. There was hardly meat on his bones.  He would get a better deal if he didn’t kill him.

The human visibly relaxed, muttering an “Oh thank god” before scooting closer to Mako.

“Whew, had me worried there.  Anyways, you got a name? I’m Jamison, but everyone just calls me Jamie.”

“Mako.”

“Well nice t’ meet ya Mako!  Haven’t ever seen a mermaid before.  I must admit, yer quite a beaut!”, Jamie chirped, giving him a toothy smile.

Mako snorted at the compliment.  No one had ever called him ‘beautiful’ before.  Only ‘violent’ or ‘terrifying’ or ‘monster’.

Looking to the side, Mako noticed the bag Jamie had with him.  Curious, he reached inside, pulling out its contents. A square with drawings, a glass square that made an annoying beeping sound, and some containers that appeared to be full of food.  Mako gave Jamie a glare.

“Thought you said you didn’t have any more food.”

“Yeah, for  _ you _ .  That’s my lunch, not yours.”, Jamie whined, trying to snatch the sandwich container Mako was holding.  Mako growled, jerking his arm away and popping the lid off.

“It’s you or the food.  Choose one.”, he growled lowly.

Jamie huffed, annoyed but defeated.  “Fine, take it.”

Victorious, Mako plucked out the sandwich and brought it to his mouth, sniffing it before he took a large bite.  It was rather dry and tasteless, but Mako ate it nonetheless. He stuffed the rest into his mouth and licked up the crumbs stuck to his fingers

“Y’like it?  It’s tuna fish.  I like t’ think I’m pretty good at makin’ sandwiches.  The bread might be a little stale, but it ain’t expired just yet, so don’t worry-”

“Eh, could be better.”, Mako cut Jamie off, licking the crumbs from his lips.

“Excuse me?  It  _ ‘could be better’ _ ?  Are you insulting my culinary skills?”

“Just telling the truth.”

Jamie frowned, giving Mako a sideways glare.

“Like you could do any better.”, Jamie sneered, jabbing a finger at him.

“True.”, Mako shrugged admittedly.  He watched as Jamie carefully inched closer to him.

“So, tell me, what’s it like bein’ a merman ‘nd all?  Is there a grand underwater palace chock full of you guys, or are ya more on the solitary side?”, Jamie inquired, eyes sparkling with interest.

“Solitary.”

“Not a man of many words, eh?  Not a problem, people tell me I tend t’ fill the silence, even when it’s not very appropriate, heh.  One person even said that-”

Jamie stopped speaking when Mako reached out and grabbed his peg leg, jerking the small human towards him.  Mako inspected the leg, unsure of why in the world this guy had a stick for a leg. Pretty sure that wasn’t normal for humans.  Jamie scrunched his face up in confusion before realizing what was on Mako’s mind.

“Yeah, got both me arm and me leg amputated a long while back.  Got into a real bad accident. These are prosthetics, y’know, fake limbs.  Got a robotic arm and a peg leg, made both of ‘em myself. Wanted a peg leg instead of a normal prosthetic ‘cause I like pirates and thought it’d look cool.”, Jamie rambled.  Mako only listened to bits and pieces of what he said, tuning out the nonsensical parts. This kid talked too much.

The rest of the day went on like this, Jamie talking about the most random mundane things that passed through his mind while Mako only half listened and occasionally gave him one word answers.  Hours passed by and soon the sun started to fall below the horizon. Jamie yawned, staring out at the water.

“Whew, I’m tired.  Proly gonna head back now.  I enjoyed the little chat, still can’t believe I just met a mermaid hehe.  I’ll be back tomorrow, gotta get some groceries first though. See ya later!”, Jamie said, giving Mako a warm smile as he stood up to leave.

“Bye.”

Jamie waggled his fingers goodbye before sliding off of the rock and into the water, swimming to shore.  Mako watched as Jamie left, glad for some peace and quiet. There was, however, a feeling in his chest he couldn’t ignore.  Mako has spent almost his entire life alone, and to finally have company willing to speak to him felt nice. Almost too nice.  With a sigh, Mako wormed his way to the edge of the rock before letting himself drop from the edge and into the chilly water. A deep chuckle escaped his lips at the thought of a merman befriending a human.  Although rare, it was possible. Perhaps Mako would be one of the lucky few.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please excuse any mistakes I may have missed when editing.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please excuse any mistakes I may have missed when editing.


End file.
